Last year’s riveting look at the inner workings of the
Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals was tremendous in its own right,
but with the beloved Blueshirts the subject of this year’s show, the series
could be some of the most memorable footage for Rangers fans yet produced.

HBO has proven its ability to nail behind the scenes sports
shows and any all-access look at the Rangers would be entertaining, so there’s
little doubt that the show will be a huge hit among the Blueshirt
faithful.Just don’t expect HBO to
necessarily focus on the aspects of the organization that you’d like.

Though Rangers’ and Flyers’ fans will comprise a large
percentage of “24/7’s” audience, HBO will be hoping to captivate all other
hockey fans and hopefully some casual sports fans as well.So while diehard Blueshirt fans would probably
be thrilled if HBO focused solely on the intricate details of New York’s
organization and the team’s development, it’s likely that the network will put
more effort into capturing the major national storylines that could appeal to a
wider audience.

Diehard Rangers fans would love very different subplots than
the network.Some that come to mind:

- An inside look at the offices of the cigar-smoking general
manager

- A look at how the homegrown group of young players interacts
on and off the ice

- An understanding of how Henrik Lundqvist operates

- Any footage of Ryan Callahan’s growth as a leader

- Displays of chemistry between the young players on and off the ice

- A look at Marian Gaborik’s revival, or lack there-of

But HBO would likely prefer options such as:

- An examination of fiery Coach John Tortorella’s demeanor
away from the rink compared to at it

- A tour of the hot spots of New York City with Sean Avery

- An examanation of the new Madison Square Garden

- How high-priced free agent Brad Richards takes to his new
home

- A view of the home lives of various players and their
families

That’s not to say that “24/7” won’t feature a mixture of
material, but the network has a larger audience to cater to than just the
Ranger-obsessed.Though Sean Avery could
have little to no role on the Blueshirts this year, he’s a compelling national
sports figure with an eclectic personality and could command heavy air-time on
the show.

While hardcore Rangers fans would probably prefer the show
to really examine the many storylines of the season, HBO must try to appeal to
the largest audience possible and may choose to stay with broader, obvious
plots than the minute details that could make the show unforgettable.